Lubrication system



March 22, 1932. A. H, Rf FEDDEN ET AL 1,850,665

LUBRICATION SYSTEM Filed Aug. 15'-, 195o` z'sneets-sneet 1` March 2 2, 1932. A. H. R. FEDDEN ET AL 1,850,665

LUBRICATION SYSTEM Filed Aug. l5, 193.0 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' mff) .I \\K I ZY/glia a if; as l 1\\\\\\\\\- K .1a/141% '16 i5 u l 7 (L j s@ f '31 I 15 Inunlzrs' .zwz E25. Eem y @5mm Eaum Patented Mu. 22, 1932 UNITED( STATI-:s PATENT OFFICE ALFRED HUBERT ROY AND LEONARD FREDERICK GEORGE BUTLER, F BRISTOL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNBS T0 THE BRISTOL AEBOPLAN'E COIPNY Lm, 0F BRISTOL, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY Lunmcafrron svsm Application led August 15, 1930, Serial No. 475,530, and in Great Britain August 28, 1929.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to lubrication systems, and has for its object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of parts for the lue brication of an auxiliary bearing or bearings which is (or are) associated with a main hearing. Hitherto, it has been customary to provide for the lubrication of the auxiliary bearing by a direct feed from the main bearing, but this method is disadvantageous in that there is a serious risk of the supply to the main bearing escaping too uickly to the auxiliary bearing, so that the of oil in the main bearing fails.

According to one feature of the present invention there is provided, in a lubricating system employing lubricant under pressure, the combination with a bearing to which lua bricant is supplied, of closure means at an 2o end thereof to provide a chamber which intercepts the lubricant discharged from the bearing, and a passage to. convey said lubricant from the chamber to an auxiliary bearing to lubricate it.

This feature of theinvention also comprises more specifically the combination with a master connecting rod engaging a crankpin, an auxiliary connecting rod or rods carried on the big-end of the master-rod, and 3o means for supplying lubricant under pressure to the main bearing, of a plate-like member constitutin a closure for the main bearing and providmg a chamber to intercept the lubricant escaping therefrom, with passages or channels conveying the lubricant from said chamber to the auxiliary bearing or bear' sccording to another feature of this invention there is combined with a master connecting rod engaging -a crank-pin, Aa collecting-ring surrounding the end of the main I big-end bearing :to receive the oil escaping therefrom and means to lead oil to the bearings of auxiliary connecting rods carried on the bigend of the master-rod.

In a preferred form kof construction for effecting -the lubrication of the auxiliary bearings, there is provided an annular plate-,like member surrounding the big-end bearing and extending' across the open end of a hollow wr1st-pin, said plate being formed with fa groove on its inner edge to receive oil from said bearing and with a duct leadin from said groove to the interior of the wrist-pin. The hollow wrist-pins may each be formed llk with a transverse diaphragm near to the end closed by the collecting-ring, and a bolt may extend through the said diaphragm to secure the collecting-ring in ositlon.

Particular forms o vmain and auxiliary bearin s will now be described by way of exampe with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Y f Figure 1 is a front elevation of the connecting rods of a radial cylinder internal combustion engine,

Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation along the line 2-2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side sectional elevation of a slightly modified forml of arrangement of 7o main and auxiliary bearings, according to this invention, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a detailof Figure 3.

A master connecting rod 11 is formed with `a big-end 12, which embraces a crank-pin 23,

and is provided with two parallel flanges 14, 15, between which the inner ends 16 of the other connecting rods are situated, and held in position by wrist-pins 17. The wrist-pins 17 are of tubular form, each having one end closed by afdiaphragm 18. An oil-collecting rin A19 fits over the master big-end 12 and is hel in position by bolts 20 which pass through the diaphragms 18 of the wrist-pins 17 The ring 19 is provided with'aninternal' groove 21 which collects the oil which eacapes from the end of a sleeve 22 surrounding the crank-pin 23. From the internal groove .21

of the ring 19, conduits 24 lead to the outer ends of the wrist-pins 17 each of which is formed with a series of tubular passages running from outside the diaphragm 18 to an annular space 26 lying between the pin 17 and the bearing surface of the inner end 27 of its connecting rod.

The outer surface of the ring 19 fits closely against the inner surface of the crank web 28.- This arrangement ensures that all the oil which escapes from the end of the crankpin 23 is collected in the annular groove 21 of the ring 19. Y

All the wrist-pins 17 are held firmly in position by the ring 19 and the bolts 20, and the outer end of each wrist-pin forms, by an annular space 29 surrounding each bolt 20, a reservoir for oil which escapes from the crank-pin 23. l l

At the other end of the crank-pin 23 the oil which escapes is thrown out in the usual Way and serves to lubricate the small end bearings 30 of the connecting rods. If desired, another connecting ring similar to the ring 19 may be provided at this end to collect an additional quantity of oil which may also be passed on to the wrist-pins 17 as above described. V

Figure 3 shows a modified form of construction embodying this invention, also as applied to a radial cylinder internal combustion engine. As in Figures 1 and 2 a big-end 12, which embraces a crank-pin 23 carries, between two flanges 14 and 15 a series of wrist-pins 17 which hold the big-ends of the other connecting rods in position.

At one end of the big-end bearin there is a flanged annular plate 31, the ange of which surrounds the big-end 12 and the annular portion of which fits closely between the big-end 12 and the crank web 28. The inner edge of the big-end 12 is bevelled to form an annular groove 34 which is connected by ducts 35 to the annular space 26 beyond the diaphragm 18 of the wrist-pin 17. The annular space 26 is provided with lanother series of ducts 36 vwhich communicate with the bearing surface 37 ofthe connecting rod. The anged plate 31 may either be fixed to rotate with the crank web 28 or it may be fixed to the big-end and bear against the web 12.

The oil which escapes from the big-end bearing will flow into the annular groove 34 and thence by ducts 35, the annular space 26 and the ducts 36, to lubricate the various wrist-pins. i

It is essential that the oil should pass between the big-end 12 and the anged plate 31, and not between the plate 31 and the web 28. To ensure that the oil Hows in the correct path compression springs may be provided to urge the flan ed plate 31 close against the crank web 28. uch an arrangement is shown in Figure 4 which is an enlarged sectional view of the a'nge I5 and part of the crankpin 23 and crank web 28, with the anged big-end bearing to the auxiliary or wristpin bearing. Once the oil has commenced to in this desired path the pressure of the oil admitted to the big-end bearing serves to preserve the desired state of affairs and the wristpin bearings continue to be effectively lubricated.

It will be seen that the annular spaces 26 ofthe wrist-pins 17 are not, in this construction, covered by the end plate 31. A small circular cover 39 vmay be provided for each `wrist-pin 17 and may be bolted to the diaphragm 18 by a bolt 40.

It will be seen that with this system of lubrication, no increase in the oil supply is required for the lubrication of the wrist-pins, for this is efected by oil which has passed through and lubricated the bi -end bearing. In the systems hitherto use the oil has been discharged from the main bearing direct to the crank case, so that thewhole pressure drop or ressure gradient takes place in the big-end aring, whereas with-the arran ment accordin to the present invention t is pressure drop 1s distributed over the bi -end bearing of the auxiliary or wrist-pin arings; the necessar pressure is therefore maintained in the ig-end bearing and an adequate supply is ensured for the auxiliary or wrist-pin bearings.

We claim 1. In combination with a master connecting rod engaging a crank-pin, a collecting ring surrounding the end of the master connecting-rod bearing to receive oil escaping therefrom and means to lead the oil to the bearings of auxiliary connecting-rods carried on the big end of the master connecting rod.

2. In combination with a master connecting rod and a plurality of auxiliary connecting rods engaging hollow wrist-pins carried in fianges extending from the big-end of the master connecting rod, a collecting ring surrounding the end of the master connecting rod bearing to receive oil escaping therefrom and means to lead the oil to the hollow wristpms.

3. In combination with a master connecting rod and a -plurality of auxiliary connecting rods en agin hollow wrist-pins .carried by the big-en of the master connecting rod, an annular plate-like member surrounding the master big-end bearing and extending across the o n ends of the hollow wrist pins, said plate `ng formed with a groove on its inner edge to receive oil from the said bearing and with a duct leading from the said groove to the interior of the wrist-'pine 4. A combination accord' to claim 3 wherein :the lhollow wristms are each formed with a transverse diap mgm near the end closed by the collecting rin and wherein a bolt extends through the salfl diaphragm to secure the collecting-ring in position.

In testimony whereof we have signed our name/sto this'specification.

' ALFRED HUBERT ROY FIDDEN.

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